Gonzaga has made good runs. They are a great program who's tournament performance has been essentially as expected with some "underachieving" seasons, some "overachieving". I put those in quotes because the reality is with a one game and out tournament crazy stuff happens and you don't have to play badly to lose. That loss as a 1 seed to Wichita State (who made the final four BTW and went undefeated the next season) I thought Gonzaga played well, but Wichita was a really good team who was scorching hot from outside that game. That happens in a one game and out tournament.

This Gonzaga team has been the best team in the country by most objective measures. Saint Marys is no slouch, Gonzaga swept them... they have wins over Arizona, Florida and Iowa State to name a few. Their sagarin / kenpom numbers (adjusting for comp) are through the roof. There are more talented teams (though not many) like Duke, UK, UNC, UCLA and arizona, but nobody is playing better. I expect a good run.

Going by the chalk, i.e. based on the idea the higher seeded team is projected to win each game, Gonzaga should at least have a record of 28-17 based on their seedings and how the bracket broke each time under Few. I already pointed out that he's only 10-6 as a top four seed, so yes, he could do way better. That idea of patting them on the back because they started out as a lower echelon program is a total copout and excuse now days. No one wants to hear it anymore except a few apologists.

(02-12-2017 08:56 PM)Go College Sports Wrote: Oh. Well, going by that logic Coach K should have won about 15 games than he has, so Few is in fine company.

Yes, and how about Kansas and Syracuse, both of whom are perennial disappointments. Then there's Kentucky with so many McD's All Americans on their team that they've always got a bunch on the bench. Based on talent alone, they should win the tournament every year. But they've only got i title in the last 18 years.

Meanwhile Few has only had two recruits that were rated higher than 3 stars in his entire 18 years at Gonzaga. One of them was Kentucky reject Kyle Wiltjer, who helped the Zags to the Elite 8 last year while the Kentucky team that dumped him was sitting home with all their McD's AA's after being eliminated in the Sweet 16.

A. Has been around way longer than Few, two full decades as a matter of fact.

B. Is a 6-seed or higher pretty much every year, meaning plenty of chances for early losses to skew his numbers (when you're a 1-seed basically every year, you have no chance to beat a better seeded team and at least four to lose to a worse team).

C. But most importantly, he has the hardware. He's won national titles and even suffered a few disappointing losses in the title game, let alone that he made the Final Four even once. Few should be commended but he needs to produce. The Tournament is a crapshoot but he's also been at the wheel of some awful collapses.

@ Bill Marsh, ditto. All those programs you mentioned certainly should have more Final Fours and titles but they've at least gotten to the grand stage. Few has been to the Elite 8 once in 17 years. That's borderline unacceptable.

Like I said, make the Final Four or even consistently make the Elite 8 and I'll shut the bleep up.

A. Has been around way longer than Few, two full decades as a matter of fact.

B. Is a 6-seed or higher pretty much every year, meaning plenty of chances for early losses to skew his numbers (when you're a 1-seed basically every year, you have no chance to beat a better seeded team and at least four to lose to a worse team).

C. But most importantly, he has the hardware. He's won national titles and even suffered a few disappointing losses in the title game, let alone that's he made the Final Four even once. Few should be commended but he needs to produce. The Tournament is a crapshoot but he's also been at the wheel of some awful collapses.

@ Bill Marsh, ditto. All those programs you mentioned certainly should have more Final Fours and titles but they've at least gotten to the grand stage. Few has been to the Elite 8 once in 17 years. That's borderline unacceptable.

Like I said, make the Final Four or even consistently make the Elite 8 and I'll shut the bleep up.

You act like I said the guy is a bum. He is a competent college coach that has done a remarkable job of elevating Gonzaga from a no-name into a legit national power, a miracle of sorts. That doesn't make him immune to criticism and he deserves some.

I think it cuts both ways with Few. His name isn't household. Not even among those with some working knowledge of college basketball. I think that's because even though Gonzaga might be more recognizable, they haven't gone as far as some think, or ought.

I remember Few's postseason numbers getting bounced out there before, and that he isn't under-performing as others elsewhere. Yet, how long did it take Gonzaga to get onto a five-line or better, and how little slack Gonzaga had to even muck up a more respectable seeding?

When Gonzaga is fantastic, their seeding shows it. They do well enough. When they are great or really good, the seeding takes a hit. We then look back at the seeding and dismiss the rest of the season. Often times, though...Gonzaga just got hosed because the WCC sucked that bad and the great wins weren't lying on top of each other in a pile.

But, I think it's time to cut the crap with them and apologizing for what they are. They are a top program. They can compete nationally. They are very distinguished. You know, two decades of sustained success will do that. It does. So, enough with what Few doesn't get with recruiting...nobody is surprised by Gonzaga. So, if that's the case...nearly twenty years later...why is an Elite 8 run all they have to show for it under him?

I'm just saying...Larranaga, Smart, Marshall, Stephens (twice)...they got to the Final Four from unsuspecting sources. Nobody confuses them with Coach K, Boeheim, Izzo, Williams, Calipari, Pitino, or Self. So, does it seem like there's a hold-up with Few?

I think everything you guy's are saying about Few is spot on and Gonzaga for the most part has been a perennial disappointment.

All that said, it only takes one. If they ran the table and won a title this year it would all be water under the bridge.

If that did happen they would be writing history. When was the last time a non P6 won a title? UCONN doesn't count, they were one year removed from the BIG East. It had to have been UNLV, that's a long streak to break.

There is a lot working against Gonzaga when you're a small private school in Spokane WA in the small West coast conference.

As disappointing as the Zags have been, let's take a second to appreciate what they have meant to that conference and for that matter what they did for Cinderellas everywhere. They have shown that you can go from one time Cinderella to perennial contender. That's impressive no matter what you feel about the program or its coach.

I'm fine with that last paragraph but I don't wanna hear it in a month if they get bounced in the first weekend or Sweet 16. Despite their recruiting level, despite how weak the WCC is, despite the coin flip and crapshoot nature of the Tournament, anything less than a Final Four is a disappointment. Maybe if they lose in a thriller or controversial call in the Elite 8 will it be okay but the refrain is getting old.